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Stored cross-site scripting in Hugo via table of contents heading IDs

Priority LOW 22CWE-79Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
Passive
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
Cross-site scripting
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · None
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 1 fixed, 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-79.

Summary

Hugo from v0.60.0 before v0.167.0 contains a stored cross-site scripting flaw (CWE-79). Hugo does not escape the href attribute in table of contents output, so crafted explicit heading IDs can break out of it. A Markdown content author with low privileges can inject HTML with event handlers into rendered pages, which runs when a user interacts with the page.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29

Description from the CNA

Hugo from v0.60.0 before v0.167.0 contains a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows Markdown content authors to inject HTML by supplying crafted explicit heading IDs. Attackers can break out of the unescaped href attribute in .TableOfContents or .Fragments.ToHTML output to inject elements with event handlers into rendered pages.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00168 6th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial hugo (gohugoio): 0.167.0Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 1 fixed, 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
gohugoiohugo0.60.0 to before 0.167.00.167.0Patch availableCNA
  • hugo Vendorgohugoio Affected 0.60.0 to before 0.167.0 Fixed in 0.167.0 Patch available CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:gohugo:hugo:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——gohugoio
  • cpe:2.3:a:gohugo:hugo:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·gohugoio

Remediation

Upgrade Hugo to 0.167.0, the fixed version. Red Hat fixes Red Hat Hardened Images in RHSA-2026:80677. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat OpenShift GitOps and Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0 as affected with no fix available.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29

  • Fix · CNA hugo (gohugoio) Fixed in 0.167.0

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2026:80677 Released 2026-10-12 · Red Hat rating Important
    Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
    • Red Hat Hardened Images hugo-0.167.0-0.2.hum1@aarch64, hugo-0.167.0-0.2.hum1@s390x, hugo-0.167.0-0.2.hum1@src +1

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

  • Release ·

    gohugoio hugo 0.167.0

    4 records Highest priority Priority LOW 4 LOW

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-71361 Symlink following in Hugo exposes files outside theme rootPriority LOW 29
    • TI-2026-71360 Hugo path traversal in js.Build ESBuild resolver exposes files outside projectPriority LOW 29
    • TI-2026-71359 Path traversal in Hugo css.Sass exposes files outside project rootPriority LOW 29

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat OpenShift GitOpsAffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Hardened ImagesFixed RHSA-2026:80677
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Hardened Images

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-13 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-109597
  2. 2026-10-13 Alias added: GHSA-hh58-7hgh-xf3r
  3. 2026-10-13 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  4. 2026-10-20 Fix available: RHSA-2026:80677 · Red Hat
  5. 2026-10-20 Fix available: Red Hat Hardened Images · Red Hat
  6. 2026-10-20 CVSS score added · Red Hat

References

  • TI-2026-60433 Hugo before v0.165.0 Insufficient Permission Restriction via TailwindCSS CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
  • TI-2026-60432 Hugo before v0.165.0 Symlink Confinement Bypass via resources.Get CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
  • TI-2026-64848 Hugo before v0.166.0 Path Traversal via Symlinked Mount Roots CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
  • TI-2026-64846 Hugo v0.161.0 to v0.165.0 Arbitrary File Read via Symlinks CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
  • TI-2026-53153 Hugo 0.162.0 to 0.164.x - Node Permission Model Bypass via Default TailwindCSS Child-Process Grant CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
  • TI-2020-16105 Hugo can execute a binary from the current directory on Windows CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.5
See all 24 →

Sources